Thai Go Go Bar Girls and Freelancer Guide

Shebas Go Go Bar in Soi Cowboy

I know a lot of guys want to know how much it would cost for one night out with a Thai prostitute. Where to go find Thai hookers in clubs and bars. Or what to expect and how much to pay for a night out at a go go bar in any of Bangkok's red light districts.

Luckily, the cost of Thai prostitutes have not really changed that much over the years and are pretty much the same across the board. Though drink prices and bar fines are creeping up.

And since there are no short answers to a lot of your questions, below is a guide on how much you should be paying in any of Bangkok's adult establishments.

This is just a guide. No prices are set in stone. And the rates for sex with a Thai prostitute can be negotiated. How low or high the price can get depends on the girl. And if you don't get the price you want, don't take it too personal.

Most important thing to remember is to try and have fun.To start off I would like to avoid any controversy by saying that all Thai bar girls, freelancers and escorts (men and lady boys included) working in Bangkok's 3 major red light districts are not forced into prostitution. They are free to leave whenever they wish. There, that's my legal disclaimer.

So why do some Thai women become bar girls, freelancers and escorts?

The average salary in Bangkok is 6000 Baht, about $175 U.S. dollars per month. That's 200 Baht a day. And these are salaries for working in small offices, hotels and departments stores. Outside of Bangkok such as in rural towns and villages in Issan, salary is much lower.

Thai bar girls and Thai ladies that work freelance can earn a minimum of 1000 Baht in 1 hour with a customer. It's all about the money. Too bad many of them waste it on frivolous luxury items such as a Louis Vuitton hand bag or an iPhone. Unfortunately most waste them on drugs, gambling and abusive boyfriends who don't want to work. I always joke about becoming a financial adviser for ladies in the sex industry. I'd make a fortune.

I get asked all sorts of questions about Bangkok's bar girls, freelancers and escorts through emails so I decided it's about time I focus on this subject on this hub. I'll be working on one about lady boys (Thai transvestites) or kathoeys soon since that in itself is one big subject alone.

The majority of the Thai ladies working in the sex industry come from the northeast province of Issan. It's a very poor area where many of the ladies come from farming villages. They leave with what little they have and head towards the Big Mango and the allure of making more money than their mother or father could make in years or a lifetime. It is a sacrifice you have to admire and respect since they do send money back home and often taking care of those not only in their immediate family but for those in their village.

You can tell an Issan girl from other Thai ladies from different regions because Issan girls are usually shorter with darker skin, higher cheek bones and flat nose features. While ladies from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and within Bangkok are taller with fairer skin and features similar to the Chinese.

No matter what you like or who you like in Bangkok you have to know some certain information before you board that plane. Though Bangkok is relatively inexpensive when it comes to food, accommodations and oh yes sex; if you don't know what you are getting into you can end up paying more money than you should.

So here in this article you'll find out:

How not to get cheated at a go go bar.

Should you pick up a Thai Freelancer?

The most indispensable tool you will need for mongering.

Should you look into Thai Escorts?

How much to pay for services.

Where you should stay.

2 Recommended BKK Guest Friendly Hotels

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A must read for first time visitors to Bangkok's Red Light Districts

Okay for all you newbies out there who've finally made the decision to cross into that precipice of sex, booze and sin. Here are some crucial information that will save you money and possibly a bad first experience in the Land of Smiles. Remember, go go bars are like colleges and universities. These are places of business that want to suck as much money out of your wallet as they can and teach you a lesson or two. And they can be quite ruthless about it. Especially when they know you are fresh meat.

After you ask a bar girl to sit with you the first thing she does is check out your financial background by asking a simple question:

Bar Girl: "Where you come from?"Translation: If you are from Japan, UK, Australia, USA or from any country with a high currency exchange rate then you've got money and can afford to pay more. But if you give them the impression you've been to their go go bar before they won't try and cheat you since you are aware of the going rate.

Bar Girl: "How many time you come here before?"You: "This is my first time." WRONG ANSWER

What you should say is, "I came here many times last month and I go to many go go bars in Bangkok all the time". Don't worry, with so many people from all over the world walking through their doors they won't remember you. If a bar girl knows it's your first time in a go go bar they will increase their prices by half or double. (See rate charts below). There are many other variations of this question such as "How many time you come to Thailand?".

My point is to give the impression that you've been to Thailand frequently even if it's not true. Hell, I tell all my friends to bullshit their way to cheaper rates. Why not? After all they do the same to you. But armed with the information below you'll have a better fighting chance by knowing how much you should actually be paying.

Final tip. Try and visit go go bars with a friend. If you are alone at least two bar girls will try to pressure you to buy them drinks. It's a high sales tactic used by copy machine salesman and it works. I've seen so many single fresh meat give in.

Also try and relax. Don't be shy. I've seen too many newbies look uptight and nervous. It's another tell tale sign you are in unfamiliar territory and the bar girls can sniff you out.

No pictures inside of go go bars - From Flickr: Photo by Amr Ramadan

Rates for Bar Girls

Time

Rates

Bar Fine

Shots

Short Time (1 Hour)

1500 Baht - 2500 Baht

500 Baht - 600 Baht

1

Long Time (Overnight)

4000 Baht - 7000 Baht

500 Baht - 600 Baht

2 (Usually)

Bangkok Bar Girls

Inside these establishments you'll see older ladies (and sometimes men, mostly gay men) wearing colorful blazers. They are the generals on the field. They are there to help you choose a lady. They are very helpful and it's good to acquaint yourself with them. But of course they want you to spend your money. However, they will help you out as much as possible so you'd come back and spend even more money.

Selling drinks is just a fraction of how go go bars make money. And the drink prices are inflated be it alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

Obviously the bulk of the go go bars income comes from customers who pay a 'bar fine'. Bar fines are typically 500 Baht to 600 Baht depending on the establishment. It is non-negotiable and must be paid in order for you and your bar girl in hand can step out of the door for either short time or long time.

For short time, if your hotel is not within walking distance of where you bar fined her, she will take you to a short time hotel nearby. In Nana Entertainment Plaza for instance, there are two short time hotels located on the 3rd floor. Renting a room with a shower will set you back 300 Baht for one hour.

If the hotel you are staying in is within walking distance she can go back to your room. Caution, make sure you know your hotel has a guest friendly policy or else you'll end up paying a 500 Baht joiner fee. Some non guest friendly hotels even have the audacity to charge 1000 Baht!

Now one of the questions I get asked the most is "Do I need a condom?" followed by "Can I perform oral on a Thai bar girl?"

Hey, I didn't make these questions up. I've been answering them. Repetitively. YES you do need to wear a condom. NO do not under any circumstances perform oral sex on a bar girl. Really, just think about it.

Yes, bar girls do get (theoretically) tested for sexually transmitted diseases often. They have to be certified disease free before they can work. It makes sense because one whiff of a diseased bar girl infecting a customer with an unwanted souvenir and the go go bar owner will most likely have to shut down due to a soiled reputation. With that said, a bar girl infected with an STD can still slip the system and work. This is Thailand after all - where the rules do get bent quite often. So no matter what you do, don't go oral on a bar girl or have sex without a condom.

But honestly, why anyone would want to perform oral sex on a bar girl is beyond me. It'll be like dipping a french fry in a 20 year old unwashed communal ketchup tray, shared with rabid inmates from a third world prison.

The #1 question of all is, and this is an exact quote "How many shots do I get?"The answer is:

Short time: Once. Yes, you get an hour. But if you finish in 1 minute, she may stay a little while. She'll check her phone, watch TV, then shower and leave before the full hour is up. Sorry minute man, I don't make the rules. You can ask her for one more time out of pity but it won't work. It will cost you an extra 1000 Baht - 1500 Baht for another go.

Long time: Twice. Twice usually that is. Talk to the bar girl to make sure. You might get less, you might get more. Depends on the amount you pay her or how much she likes you.

To reiterate always wear a condom. And please refrain from performing oral on a bar girl.

Pros

Thai bar girls are supposedly checked for sexually transmitted diseases. Of course you should still practice safe sex.

You don't have to worry about a bar girl being under aged and caught in a situation where the boys in brown (Thai cops) are breathing down your neck.

Cons

You have to pay a 500 Baht or 600 Baht bar fine. Maybe more depending on desirability.

You will most likely have to pay for a few drinks that will total a few hundred Baht extra.

Constant pressure to buy overpriced lady drinks and bar fine a bar girl or two. This is especially true for first time visitors. They can smell you, believe me. If they see you are a frequent customer you may not receive such high pressured sales tactics.

'Baby, lets hit the buffet before we head back to my room.' - From Flicker: By nogoodreason

Thai Freelance Rates

Time

Rates

Bar Fine

Shots

Short Time (1 Hour)

1000 Baht - 1500 Baht

None

1

Long Time (Overnight)

2500 Baht - 4000 Baht

None

2 (Usually)

Thai Freelancers

Thai freelancers are a different breed in Bangkok’s nightlife girl industry. They are most popular because you can avoid paying bar fines and expensive drinks in go go bars. However, there are some big pros and cons issues when dealing with those that work outside of bars in the city’s sex industry.

Prostitutes working outside of go go bars such as Freelancers charge slightly less than their sisters working in go go bars. However, the biggest difference is you never have to pay a bar fine. And you never have to buy expensive drinks for yourself or a lady drink for the bar girl.

The majority of the city’s independent prostitutes ply their trade in beer gardens, hotel bars and even high end clubs. And these establishments are usually right in the Sukhumvit District, right between Nana and Soi Cowboy red light district, so from Sukhumvit Soi 4 (Soi Nana) and down to Sukhumvit Soi 23.

Thai freelancers are not your only choice these days. In Bangkok, you can find Russians and Africans trying their best to blend in with their Thai cohorts.

Russian prostitutes in Bangkok can be found in the Rajah Mansion Hotel’s coffee shop on the first floor. Africans typically hang around the Grace Hotel. Both hotels are right on Sukhumvit Soi 4. More African hookers can be seen roaming around between Sukhumvit Soi 4 down to Soi 15. It’s safe to say that non-Thai prostitutes on Sukhumvit road charge a higher premium for both short and long time, about 700THB to 1500THB more above the usual going rate for Thai freelancers.

Thai girl freelancers can be found from Sukhumvit Soi 4 and all the way down to Soi Cowboy. Though the quality of Thai street walkers in that particular stretch are not shall I say not so high in the looks department. But you can bet the rates they ask for is low, which in itself is the only reason they can find customers.

You can especially find a large amount of Bangkok’s nightlife girls working out of the parking lot of the Nana Hotel and right across the street by the entrance of Nana Entertainment Plaza (NEP). And you will also find a handful of ladyboy hookers standing by the entrance of NEP too.

Matter of fact ladyboy prostitutes are most prevalent in Nana’s red light district. However, freelance ladyboys do have a stigma of criminal mischief and behavior towards men who acquire their services and time.

So if you pick up a ladyboy off of the streets of Bangkok you’d better find a hotel with a guest friendly policy. This way once your ladyboy companion enters the hotel she/he must hand over a Thai I.D. card to security. In most cases, the hotel will only return the I.D. card to the ladyboy after they know you are safe and not shackled to the toilet in an uncompromising position.

Even genuine freelance Thai girls get the same treatment too. It makes sense after all since ladies working on their own can quite easily disappear. It’s a different scenario for Thai go go bar girls because you can actually find recourse at the place of their employment.

There are pros and cons when it comes to taking a Thai freelancer back to your room. I'll start with the cons since it's more important:

Cons

Thai freelancers have a great risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

You are at greater risk of being a crime victim. So be careful and put your valuables away before inviting anyone to your room. If you are staying in a guest friendly hotel then you have the added protection of hotel security holding onto the freelancers I.D.

Possibility of getting in trouble with underage Thai girls working as prostitutes. This will seriously get you into trouble. It's also one reason why Thai hotels want to check the I.D. of Thai nationals you invite to your room.

Pros

You don't have to pay a bar fine.

Lady drinks are optional. Though it would be polite to buy a drink for a girl you meet in a bar.

You won't have to buy an expensive drink like you would at a go go bar. Or be pressured by a bar girl to bar fine her for short time.

If you are a novice in Bangkok's naughty nightlife and you want to dabble into a bit of Thai freelance action I recommend heading over to the Thermae Bar and Coffee Shop. I know, it does not have a flash name. Yet on weekends there are literally dozens of girls standing and sitting all around the establishment.

Take a seat by the winding table in the center of the room. Get there before 10pm though as the room can fill up with punters and chairs become hard to find around that time. You are never pressured by any girls but if they like you they will perhaps stare at you and try to make eye contact. Drinks at the Thermae are reasonable compared to go go bars. Just sit back and if you find someone you like just smile and wave her over or walk up to her and speak to her.

In general, Thai Freelancers in Bangkok can communicate in English. You won't be able to talk to them about the current events around the world but they will understand the price you are willing to pay for, how many shots you want, and other subjects in that area. One tool that you should always have with you is a GSM capable camera mobile phone with a local Thai SIM card. Why? There are so many freelancers in Bangkok and you're going to want phone numbers. And trust me you're not going to remember all of their names especially when nicknames such as Nut, Donut, Nan and so on and so are shared amongst the ladies. So it's a good idea to attach a photo of them to their phone numbers.

And personally when I'm in a rush I can't chat with a lady. So what I do is ask for her number and take a pic and call here when I'm free.

Some might say it's not a good idea to share your phone number with any lady working in the sex industry. Because they'll call you when they can't find a customer. I say so what. Who says you have to pick up?

Thai Escorts

Sorry, you're not going to find any links to Thai escort websites. It's for a good reason. I don't recommend any of them. Personally I've never had to call on their services and I like to get out and visually look at the ladies I plan to be with. But if you come across a Thai escort website you'll come across overpriced rates for services you can get for a fraction of the price - compared to getting your ass over to a go go bar. There are many escort sites where many of the girls, lady-boys or men pictured are actually what you will get. But there are definitely escort services that are all fake, taken from other websites. So you are never going to get what you ordered to your doorsteps.

Get this, most of the girls you get to your doorsteps are most likely freelancers employed on the side.

Here are sample rates from a Thai Escort website:

2 Hours - 5000 Baht

Overnight - 10,000 Baht

Most Thai escort websites charge around the same rate and that's just way too much. If you look at the rates above for bar girls and freelancers you'll see it's a big difference.